Explore tropical ecosystems, conduct biological fieldwork, and study conservation in one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.

Program Highlights

Study biological and ecological sciences in one of the most biologically diverse countries on the planet.

Visit the high sierra of the Andes, the cloud forests of the Chocó, the Amazon basin, and the Galápagos Islands.

Live like a biologist: study plants and insects, take soil samples, conduct species counts, use mist nets, and observe birds.

Live and study in beautiful Quito, surrounded by mountains called locally “la cara de Dios”—the face of God.

Improve your Spanish in class, in homestays, and on excursions.

Please visit the SIT Study Abroad website for details on the program courses (including syllabi), educational excursions, and housing.

Independent Study

During the final four weeks of the program, you can choose to use your new language and cultural skills and the academic knowledge you have acquired to complete an Independent Study Project (ISP) on a topic of interest to you.

The ISP can be conducted throughout Ecuador based upon requests from local activists, NGOs, and communities. You should plan on completing an ISP that is rooted in the biological, ecological, and/or environmental sciences.

Sample Topics:

Biodiversity studies and population assessments

Use of biological/ecological indicators for environmental studies

Flora or fauna monitoring for conservation purposes

Geology related to ecology and conservation

Endangered species

Protected area management

Key Topics of Study

Ecology/biology of Ecuador’s four distinct ecological regions: the Andes, the coast, the Amazon, and the Galápagos Islands

Major plant and animal biological indicators and ecological adaptations

Forestry and field techniques, research analysis and bio-statistics

Local natural resource use

Ecuador’s current environmental challenges.

Money Matters

Be sure to discuss how study abroad costs are handled at your school with your study abroad advisor.

SIT tuition and room and board fees include the following:

All educational costs, including educational excursions

All accommodations and meals for the full program duration

Transportation to and from the airport, and on all educational excursions

Health and accident insurance

Scholarships:

SIT awards nearly $1.6 million in scholarships and grants annually.

All scholarships and grants are need-based.

Awards generally range from $500 to $5,000.

The SIT Pell Grant Match provides matching grants to all students receiving Federal Pell Grant funding when it is applied to an SIT Study Abroad semester program.

Contact the financial aid and/or study abroad office(s) at your college or university to learn if your school’s scholarships and grants and federal and state aid programs can be applied to an SIT Study Abroad program.